Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. – Colossians 3:23
I had a friend who asked me recently for some advice on transition. Since this has been a relatively prevalent theme in my life, I thought I would take some of the things which I shared with my friend and post them. This is a jumbled culmination of the lessons which God has been teaching me for the past few years.
The first part of the lesson, which is most likely the hardest, is that God cares more about your character than your career. I think he cares more about the attitude you bring with you to work than where it is you work. He cares about the process of refinement which needs to happen in each of us in order to make us the best representation of who He is to the world. God wants us to be fully present wherever we are. He wants us to be good stewards, and employees, even as we recognize that our current circumstances may not represent where we sense in our hearts that God is taking us.
That being said, God does care about your career. I refuse to believe God would say that he came to give us life, and life abundantly, and then order us all to live a cubicle defined life. I don’t think God ever intended for mankind to give the best years of his life to a job he hates. The trick though, is to make sure you are not just leaving one job you hate for another job, which you may end up hating more.
Remember, it is all about refinement. Learning to focus on that which God has called you to. Erwin McManus wrote in Wide Awake about how this process of focus may mean not just saying no to the obviously bad opportunities. It also means saying no to the good ones which you were not designed to do.
I have no delusions that my new job is a glamorous job which will utilize the fullness of who God has made me to be. I do however, believe it is part of my refinement. This job will allow me more time alone, which hopefully means more time to write and create with my hands. It will help me to use my German so that if Paul and I do go to Germany, I can be a more effective leader and witness. Hopefully my new schedule will even allow me time to take a singing class. It will teach me how to work at home and be disciplined, and it will give me the freedom to move and still have an income. All of these things are in line with, and encourage my journey towards the person God created me to be.
In times of transition, these are the questions which I would encourage you to ask yourself:
1. Do I want to take this new opportunity just to get out of the situation which I am currently in? Am I looking for any exit?
2. Would this new circumstance provide opportunity to encourage and grow the person God called me to be? Will it take my focus off of those things which I really feel God has been pressing into me?
3. Can I be realistic about what the change is? Do I have unfounded expectations that this change will “fix” any of the problems in my life?
Continuing the adventure,
Jessi
Jess Boctor 
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